RAHIM YAR KHAN - A workshop titled Mango Stakeholders to share the research findings of orchards rating, post harvest, disease management and international markets conducted under Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Programme was held at In-service Agricultural Training Institute.
Mango stakeholders including growers, contractors, commission agents, exporters, officers of Agricultural Extension, Fruit & Vegetable Development Project and academia personnel participated in the workshop.
Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHDEC) National Project Coordinator/Director Supply Chain Dr Arshad Hussain Hashmi welcomed the mango stakeholders came from across the Punjab province. Former Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Abdul Rauf Mukhtar appreciated the project efforts and assured his full support to the project for the development of mango industry.
RYK CCI Vice-President Ch Waqar Sandhu also assured full cooperation of chamber to project activities. Project Development Officer Sohail Ayyaz presented findings of project phase-I, background and objectives of the second phase with the audience.
Muhammad Amin of Post Harvest Research & Training Centre, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, shared the research findings conducted by UAF.
Dr Hashmi presented the international market research conducted by project in 2011 and Ch Khalid Mahmood gave presentation on achievements of ASLP mango production project.
EDO Agriculture Zaffar Yab Haider chaired the closing ceremony of the workshop and appreciated the project work. All the stakeholders encouraged the ASLP activities and requested to hold such workshops in Rahim Yar Khan on regular basis.
Stakeholders also thanked to Australian government for launching this project in Pakistan, which has improved the quality of Pakistani fruit by adopting practices recommended by ASLP team.